What is the role of intention in committing a sin?

[Ave Maria]

Hello everyone. I have been wondering about this for some time and I've tried to search online for information about it but I can't seem to find anything. We know that for a sin to be mortal, it must be grave matter, we must know it is grave matter before committing it, and we must do it with full consent of the will. But what about the intention of the person who is committing the act? If someone does a sinful action but they have good intentions, what effect does that have?

 

[pdudgeon]

Hello everyone. I have been wondering about this for some time and I've tried to search online for information about it but I can't seem to find anything. We know that for a sin to be mortal, it must be grave matter, we must know it is grave matter before committing it, and we must do it with full consent of the will. But what about the intention of the person who is committing the act? If someone does a sinful action but they have good intentions, what effect does that have?

That's really difficult to find good intentions in a sinful act, because at it's base reasoning, it put's the person's intentions above those of God's.
For example: if a person knows of a hungry family, and goes to a grocery and steals food to bring to them, on the surface, the intention to feed others is good, but cheating the store, and stealing the food is the wrong way to go about it, because it implies that God doesn't care about that family, and that is not true.

 

[FutureAndAHope]

Here are my thoughts:

James 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
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Sin has a desire attached to it, if the desire becomes strong enough we sometimes participate in the sin. We all get led astray by these desires at times.

Ecc 7:20 For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin.
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Our confessing sin results in forgiveness.

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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Where we get into trouble is if we consistently desire our sins while ignoring God. A persistent willful continuance in sin can result in separation from God.

Heb 3:13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called "TODAY," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.​

There are also sins where we should know better, but choose sin, with knowledge, like Solomon.

1Ki 11:9 So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,
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But while we seek forgiveness it is available to us, the cross has paid for a lifetime of sins.

Heb 9:27-28 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.​

 

[pdudgeon]

So to the best that I can figure these things out, it would seem that whenever a person does a good act, but in such a way that it defames or usurps God's will or His timing
( "putting the horse before the cart") then that's wrong.
So for the best way to avoid doing that, perhaps it's best to pause for a prayer to God for guidance, before charging ahead with our own plans.

 

[disciple Clint]

Hello everyone. I have been wondering about this for some time and I've tried to search online for information about it but I can't seem to find anything. We know that for a sin to be mortal, it must be grave matter, we must know it is grave matter before committing it, and we must do it with full consent of the will. But what about the intention of the person who is committing the act? If someone does a sinful action but they have good intentions, what effect does that have?

These two things may help you.
The Principle of Double Effect in the Church's moral tradition teaches that one may perform a good action even if it is foreseen that a bad effect will arise only if four conditions are met: 1) The act itself must be good. 2) The only thing that one can intend is the good act, not the foreseen but unintended bad effect. 3) The good effect cannot arise from the bad effect; otherwise, one would do evil to achieve good. 4) The unintended but foreseen bad effect cannot be disproportionate to the good being performed. Clarifying 'Double Effect'
we’ll be judged based on what we knew (or should have known), not for what we didn’t have the power to know. Jesus gives the standard that “every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more” (Luke 12:48). God gives some people more helps than others, but he also expects more of those people. In the parable of the talents, the Master (clearly representing God) “called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability” (Matt. 25:14-15). Don't Be Ignorant About Invincible Ignorance!

 

[Ahermit]

The Spirit of Truth will counsel you in all things that are true. You will 'know' the truth by its very nature. Truth is always simple, obvious, doubtless, faithful, loving, and most importantly unconditional.

 

[Ave Maria]

Thanks, everyone. Let me give you an example. Let's say someone chooses to overeat, knowing it will make their blood sugar too high, but they do it with that being the intention of it being the only meal they will eat that day. Would overeating in such an instance be gravely sinful?

 

[Ahermit]

Thanks, everyone. Let me give you an example. Let's say someone chooses to overeat, knowing it will make their blood sugar too high, but they do it with that being the intention of it being the only meal they will eat that day. Would overeating in such an instance be gravely sinful?

Does the answer you are hoping to get allow you to overeat?

 

[Ave Maria]

Does the answer you are hoping to get allow you to overeat?

I do not want a justification to overeat. I just want to know if the situation I described would have been gravely sinful or not.

 

[Ahermit]

I do not want a justification to overeat. I just want to know if the situation I described would have been gravely sinful or not.

Only you know your own truth about the matter, and only you know what definitions you have around the words you use. Your truthful answers are known by the Spirit of Truth within you. Consult the Counsellor given to you.